From Oil Fields to Volcanic Peaks: Asset Tracking in Harsh Environments

Asset tracking is critical to a broad range of industries as more and more equipment and devices become interconnected and valuable to continuous business operations. Selecting trackers explicitly designed for harsh and sometimes impassable terrain is essential for environments such as oil fields, construction sites, and manufacturing complexes. These assets may be in remote areas for extended periods of time with challenging weather conditions, rugged landscapes, or otherwise hazardous environmental factors.

Trackers designed for these environments must be reliable regardless of location and condition. That includes the very definition of rugged: mountains, canyons, or other landscape features with variable elevation characterized by sparse population and remoteness. For Geoforce trackers, that also includes the extreme conditions of the Permian Basin and the Galápagos Islands.

Regarding the Galápagos Islands, the value of the tracked asset is as priceless as the research the Geoforce tracker enabled. Migratory patterns of the elusive giant adult tortoises in the remote environment of Wolf Volcano would aid conservation efforts with precious location data.

Achieving this meant equipping the giant tortoises with best-in-class Geoforce trackers amidst the terrain of the archipelago’s highest peak at about 5,600 feet. Faced with extreme seasonal variations, temperature swings, and varied altitudes, the trackers reliably recorded when the turtles surfaced during a two-year period to open the doors for research never before conducted.

2011 Geoforce customer Enviro Vat operates depends on that kind of durability to operate in the Permian Basin, known for its rough terrain that exposes equipment to intensive usage and continuous wear and tear. Extreme temperatures in either direction can shorten equipment lifespans and impair fragile tracking devices.

Reliability is the key factor in these scenarios, founded on internal stress testing based on a HALT (highly accelerated life test) methodology. Geoforce asset trackers are meticulously engineered to withstand challenging conditions, whether that involves extreme temperatures, exposure to water, dust, high-impact shocks, or continuous operation in rugged terrains.

Reliability is Key to Tracker Selection

The key theme woven through tracker requirements for rugged industries is reliability, defined by three important characteristics:

• Durability over time provides longevity and cost-savings, enabling field operations to decrease maintenance costs and improve productivity. Equipment in rugged environments requires trackers with an industrial grade design to withstand the toughest conditions.

  Features such as protective bezel that withstands accidental impact is an “asset saver” when pinpointing asset location during emergencies. Intrinsically resilient, rugged trackers can range from compact footprints to varied dimensions that suit business needs.

• Lifespan is lengthened by best-in-class durable trackers, where the most powerful devices can have an operational service life of up to 10 years. This reduces the need for frequent battery replacements, which can be costly and time-consuming.

  Consider 1,000 fleet assets requiring 200 battery replacements per year. Using a factor of 15 minutes for replacement equals 3,000 minutes of lost productivity per year. Over 10 years, that adds up to a staggering 30,000 minutes of lost productivity – or 500 hours! This doesn’t include time spent to retrieve to travel to assets in remote locations.

• Standardization guides the development of best-in-class trackers that form the base of an asset management program. Reliable trackers boast fully encapsulated construction with IP68 and IP69K protection according to Ingress Protection (IP) ratings for resilient protection against solids and liquids.

  Exceptional trackers for harsh environments are ATEX/IECEx Zone 0 rated for the highest protection for equipment in explosive environments. Obtaining this rating means that the tracker has undergone rigorous HALT testing and obtained Zone 0 certifications.

When combined with an asset management platform, ruggedized trackers help strengthen compliance programs through standard audit trails. They also reduce the risk of penalties by documenting certification and maintenance based on tracker data. In rugged and remote environments, where reliability is non-negotiable, Geoforce stands out as the industry standard. Ensure your assets are protected, your operations run smoothly, and costly downtime is minimized. Book a demo with us today to see how Geoforce can transform your asset tracking strategy and help you stay ahead of the toughest challenges.